The Hold it Down Podcast

In this powerful episode of the Hold It Down Podcast, the crew sits down with community leader, mentor, coach, and housing advocate Chauncey for a deeply personal conversation about growth, fatherhood, vulnerability, financial literacy, and generational legacy.

The discussion begins with the challenges that shape us, exploring how discomfort often becomes the catalyst for personal growth and character development. From learning how to be vulnerable as men to understanding the importance of asking for help, the conversation highlights why growth rarely happens inside our comfort zones.

The episode then shifts into fatherhood, with honest reflections on raising children, learning from mistakes, adapting parenting styles, and understanding that every child requires a different approach. The hosts discuss how becoming fathers taught them as much about themselves as it did about parenting, while emphasizing the importance of presence, relationships, and leading with grace.

Chauncey shares insights from nearly two decades of coaching young athletes, explaining how mentorship is built through trust, consistency, and meeting people where they are. The conversation explores the lasting impact of positive role models, community involvement, and the responsibility of helping young people discover their purpose.

The second half of the episode dives deep into financial literacy and generational wealth. Chauncey discusses his work in affordable housing, homeownership programs, and wealth-building education, while challenging common financial mindsets that keep families stuck in cycles of poverty. The group explores delayed gratification, investing, ownership, retirement planning, and the importance of teaching children how money works long before adulthood.

Throughout the episode, the message remains clear: whether it's parenting, finances, faith, or personal growth, the goal is to leave the next generation better equipped than the one before. It's an inspiring conversation about serving others, building stronger families, and creating a legacy that extends far beyond yourself.

Key Topics:

• Growth through adversity
• Vulnerability and emotional health for men
• Fatherhood and parenting lessons
• Coaching, mentorship, and community impact
• Boundaries and avoiding burnout
• Financial literacy and investing
• Homeownership and wealth building
• Generational wealth and legacy
• Faith, purpose, and personal responsibility
• Building a better future for the next generation

Lee and Mike welcome community leader Charles Thomas for a deep and inspiring conversation about curiosity, healing, and building a stronger Spokane. Charles shares how our survival instincts, learned behaviors, and limited information shape the way we move through the world — and how embracing curiosity can open the door to growth.

Together, we explore the principles of Safety, Love, and Joy, how fear is taught, and why sharing knowledge is essential for community healing. This episode blends personal stories, wisdom, and practical insight for anyone seeking growth or connection.

Key Themes:

• Ambient curiosity & lifelong learning

• Fear, survival, and human behavior

• Community healing & violence intervention

• Safety, Love & Joy as a life framework

• Personal growth through shared knowledge

A powerful conversation for anyone committed to becoming better — and helping their community do the same.

In this episode, we sit down inside the Chop Shop with guest and host Mike Bethely for an intimate conversation about Legendary Nights, Spokane’s weekly basketball‑driven community gathering. Mike shares how the program creates safety, confidence, and connection for youth and families, and how the spirit of midnight basketball lives on through the Lilac City Legends.

We talk about emotional maturity, mentorship, violence prevention, and the powerful moments that define Legendary Nights — including firefighters fresh off battling Spokane’s wildfires joining the runs and feeling embraced by the community.

This episode is all about building community through sport, holding it down for the city we love, and reminding every person that they’re a legend in their own right.

In this Season 2 kickoff of the Hold It Down Podcast, Mike and Lee return after a long break — and they get real about why they stepped away, what they learned, and why the community pulled them back. This episode dives deep into growth, faith, vulnerability, and the responsibility of using your voice to heal your community.

Mike shares how much has changed in the last six months, describing this season of life as one of stretching, growth, and unexpected blessings. Lee reflects on turning 50, reconnecting with his inner child, and learning to move forward even when the next step isn’t clear. Together, they talk about trusting God’s vision, recognizing His provision, and putting in the work — just like the Israelites gathering manna.

The hosts open up about the impact the podcast has had on Spokane, the humbling feedback they received during their break, and why they’re committed to showing up authentically. They introduce their new partnership with Spokane Word and the Roots of Peace initiative, focusing this season on violence prevention — from street violence to domestic violence to emotional harm and cyberbullying.

They also explore re‑entry after incarceration, the preschool‑to‑prison pipeline, the role of public defenders, and the importance of understanding each other to build a safer, healthier community. With honesty, humor, and heart, Mike and Lee set the tone for a powerful new season dedicated to unity, healing, and real conversations that matter.

This episode of Hold It Down opens with the hosts catching up after a long stretch of “life life‑ing,” celebrating growth, resilience, and the journey of becoming better versions of themselves. Mike updates listeners on the Spokane Legends basketball season, while Lee shares a personal moment — attending his aunt’s wedding and hearing people say, “You look confident. Something’s different about you.”

That difference becomes the heart of the episode.

The hosts introduce Andrew Salas, a lifestyle medicine educator who has played a major role in Lee’s health transformation over the past year. Lee explains that when he met Andrew, he was dealing with serious health concerns — poor gut health, low energy, back pain, and the belief that “this is just what happens when you get older.” Andrew challenged that mindset, teaching him that aging doesn’t have to mean decline.

Andrew shares his own story of growing up sick, deciding at 15 to become a doctor, and later discovering that true healing comes from lifestyle, not prescriptions. He explains how the body can “grow into health” when given the right conditions — hydration, plant‑based nutrition, cleansing, rest, and intentional habits.

The conversation dives into:

• How Lee lost 50+ pounds in a year

• How his colon and gut health improved by 30–40%

• Why plant‑based eating is easier and cheaper than people think

• How intermittent fasting resets the body

• Why discipline matters more than perfection

• How men can inspire each other through healthy competition

• Why aging can be reversed through lifestyle choices

Andrew emphasizes that health is a journey, not a punishment: “If you take a detour, you just find your way back to the road.” The episode is filled with practical wisdom, humor, and hope — showing listeners that living your best life is possible at any age.

In this inspiring episode of Hold It Down, we sit down inside the legendary Chicken‑N‑Mo with Spokane pioneer Mr. Bob Hemphill, a man whose entrepreneurial journey spans 34 years and continues to shape the city’s culture. Born and raised in Texas, Bob shares how he went from a “country boy” with military experience to becoming one of Spokane’s first Black cab company owners, a used‑car dealer, and eventually the founder of one of the city’s most beloved restaurants.

Bob talks about Spokane as a place where “you can get along with anybody” and where opportunity is wide open for those willing to work and dream. He shares powerful stories about mindset, faith, and the importance of having a vision — from Thomas Edison to George Washington Carver to Bishop Mason — reminding us that “you can’t do anything without a picture.”

The conversation dives deep into the power of dreaming, the responsibility of creativity, and the spiritual truth that we are made in the image of God — “the crown of His creation.” Bob explains why asking boldly, speaking life, and refusing to limit yourself are essential to success. The hosts reflect on their own journeys, including vision boards, entrepreneurship, and the importance of believing in what you can’t yet see.

This episode is a masterclass in wisdom, faith, business, and legacy — delivered with humor, honesty, and the unmistakable spirit of a man who has truly held it down for Spokane.

This episode of Hold It Down blends humor, real‑life storytelling, and a powerful conversation about education as a pathway to prosperity. After opening with jokes about turning 50, bucket‑list stand‑up comedy, and “flying the plane as we’re building it,” the hosts shift into a meaningful discussion with Guillermo Espinosa, Associate Dean for Access, Outreach, and Dual Enrollment at Spokane Community College.

Guillermo shares how his 11‑year journey at SCC began with multicultural student support and evolved into leading access and equity initiatives. He explains that his “gift of gab” became a calling to help students—especially first‑generation and multicultural students—navigate college systems that often feel out of reach. As he puts it, education became his way out of generational poverty, giving him “paid days off,” stability, and the ability to support his family and community.

The conversation dives deep into Running Start, with the hosts sharing firsthand how the program helped their son get ahead academically, save money, and learn how to navigate college while still at home. Guillermo breaks down how Running Start works, why Washington’s model is unique, and how the new “Jump Start” option lets students try college the summer before junior year.

Throughout the episode, the theme is clear: education is a building block for prosperity, and access matters. Whether through mentorship, community support, or programs like Running Start, the episode highlights how one opportunity can create a ripple effect that changes families and futures.

This episode of Hold It Down features an in‑depth and heartfelt conversation with Yashar Jones, founder of the Locked In Fathers Alliance in Spokane, Washington — an organization dedicated to creating safe, empowering spaces for Black fathers and Black men in the community.

Yashar shares the origins of the Alliance, explaining that he created it because “we don’t see too many positive spaces that are for Black men” and because fathers often “play the background” despite their essential role. The conversation explores how the group provides a consistent, judgment‑free environment where men can talk openly about fatherhood, identity, and the challenges of being a Black man in today’s world.

The hosts and Yashar reflect on the importance of discipline over motivation, the power of showing up even when you don’t feel like it, and how the meetups help fathers “gain a brother” and build trust across generations. They highlight the beauty of seeing elders, new fathers, and even young men without children learning from one another — breaking generational cycles through honest dialogue and vulnerability.

Yashar also opens up about his own upbringing, moving through seven states, being raised by a strict father and grandfather, and how the lack of open communication in his childhood inspired him to create a space where men can finally talk, heal, and grow. As he puts it, the Alliance is “for me first,” a place that has strengthened his relationship with his own father and helped him evolve as a man and parent.

The episode closes with an invitation to the community: support the work, show up when you can, and remember that “whether it’s one or a hundred, I’m going to be there.”

What do we do with the pain, trauma, habits, and beliefs we didn’t choose—but still carry?

In this episode of the Hold It Down Podcast, Big Lee sits down with Dr. Mace for a powerful conversation about healing, personal responsibility, and breaking generational cycles.

Together, they explore how childhood experiences shape adulthood, why unresolved trauma often shows up in our relationships and communities, and what it takes to move from surviving to truly healing. Dr. Mace shares practical wisdom on self-awareness, resilience, and the importance of doing the inner work necessary to create a different future.

This episode is for anyone who has ever looked at their life and asked: “How much of this is mine, and how much did I inherit?”

Because while we may not be responsible for what happened to us, we are responsible for what we do with it.

In this episode of The Hold It Down Podcast, hosts Big Lee and Michael Betheley sit down with Ashanti Williams, a Spokane native and real estate agent with D.R. Horton, to talk about growth, responsibility, and building a better future.

Ashanti shares her journey growing up between Spokane and California and how life challenged her early when she became a mother at a young age. That experience forced her to mature quickly and helped shape the determination and mindset that drives her today.

From navigating life’s obstacles to building a career in real estate, Ashanti talks about the lessons she’s learned, the importance of perseverance, and why creating opportunities for the next generation matters so much to her.

Her story is one of resilience, accountability, and purpose — making her a powerful role model for young women and an inspiration to anyone working to turn challenges into success.